Vibration System, Vibration Component, and Mobile Body

The present application is based on and claims priority of Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-110258 filed on Jul. 9, 2024.

The present disclosure relates to a vibration system and a vibration component capable of imparting vibration to an operator, and to a mobile body including the vibration system.

Conventionally, there is a technique, such as that described in Patent Literature (PTL) 1, in which an exciter is attached to a plate-like vibration component such a car interior material or a building interior material, to make the entire vibration component function like a speaker.

PTL 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-318623

However, the exciter described in aforementioned PTL 1 can be improved upon.

In view of this, the present disclosure provides a vibration system, a vibration component, and a mobile body that are capable of improving upon the related art.

A vibration system according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes: a vibration component; and an exciter attached to the vibration component. The exciter includes a fixing portion that fixes the exciter to the vibration component, and the vibration component includes an affixing portion to which the fixing portion is attached, the affixing portion being more readily elastically deformable than other parts of the vibration component.

A vibration component according to an aspect of the present disclosure is a vibration component to be attached to an exciter, and includes: an affixing portion to which the exciter is to be attached, the affixing portion being more readily elastically deformable than other parts of the vibration component.

A mobile body according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes: a vibration system including: a vibration component; and an exciter attached to the vibration component. The exciter includes a fixing portion that fixes the exciter to the vibration component. The vibration component includes an affixing portion to which the fixing portion is attached, the affixing portion being more readily elastically deformable than other parts of the vibration component. The vibration system causes the exciter to vibrate based on an inputted electrical signal to cause the vibration component to vibrate.

The present disclosure can improve upon the related art.

Hereinafter, embodiments of a vibration system, a vibration component, and a mobile body according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that each of the subsequent embodiments shows an example for describing the present disclosure, and thus is not intended to limit the present disclosure. For example, the shapes, structures, materials, structural components, the relative positional relationships and connections of the structural components, numerical values, formulas, steps of a method, the processing order of the steps, and so on, shown in the following embodiments are mere examples, and details not described below may be included. Furthermore, although there are cases where geometric expressions, such as “parallel” and “orthogonal”, are used, these expressions are not mathematically precise indications and include substantially permissible error, deviation, and the Moreover, expressions such as “simultaneous” and like. “identical (or the same)” are considered to cover a substantially permissible range of meaning.

Additionally, the drawings are schematic illustrations that may include emphasis, omission, or adjustment of proportion as necessary for the purpose of describing the present disclosure, and thus the shapes, positional relationships, and proportions shown may be different from actuality. Furthermore, the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis which may be shown in the drawings are arbitrarily set rectangular coordinates for describing the figures. In other words, the Z-axis is not limited to an axis in the vertical direction, and the X-axis and Y-axis are not limited to being axes inside a horizontal plane.

Furthermore, hereinafter, multiple inventions may be comprehensively described as a single embodiment. Moreover, part of the contents in the description below is described as an optional element related to the present disclosure.

1 FIG. 6 FIG. 210 100 210 200 210 211 211 200 100 211 211 is a perspective view of operating componentthat includes vibration system. Operating componentis a component for operating mobile body(see) such as a car, a bus, a truck, an aircraft, a ship, a train, a construction machine, an agricultural machine, and so on. Operating componentis a component on which an operator performs an operation, and includes receiving components. Receiving componentsreceive input related to the operation of mobile bodyfrom the operator, input regarding navigation or audio from the operator, and so on. Vibration systemis disposed at the back (in the figures, the X+ side) of receiving component, and generates vibration when receiving componentreceives an input from the operator. It should be noted that the vibration may be vibration of a frequency that can be heard as sound by the operator.

2 FIG. 100 100 110 120 is a perspective view of vibration systemin a disassembled state. Vibration systemis a system that generates vibration (including sound) based on an inputted electrical signal, and includes vibration component, and exciter.

120 121 120 110 120 110 121 120 110 120 120 122 128 150 120 3 FIG. Exciterincludes fixing portionsthat fix exciterto vibration component. Excitercauses vibration componentvia fixing portions, based on the inputted electrical signal. Exciteris a so-called actuator (exciter) that causes vibration componentto vibrate. Exciteris not limited in type, and may be exemplified by an exciter composed of a magnet and a coil, an exciter that uses a piezoelectric element, an exciter that uses a magnetostrictor, or the like. In the present embodiment, exciteris a magnetic actuator that includes magnetic circuit, frame, and suspension.is a cross-sectional view of the internal structure of exciterthat is of the magnetic type.

122 123 124 123 124 123 125 123 124 125 123 124 126 124 125 127 126 Magnetic circuitincludes columnar magnetthat is a magnetized permanent magnet, disc-shaped top platethat is attached to an end surface of magnetin such a manner that the periphery of top plateprotrudes beyond magnet, and bottomed, cylindrical bottom platethat is attached to the end surface of magnetthat is on the opposite side from top plate. Bottom platecoaxially houses magnetand top plate, and annular magnetic gapis formed between top plateand bottom plate. Coilis disposed in magnetic gap.

128 122 127 128 128 125 122 128 128 125 150 Frameis a structural component that holds magnetic circuitand coil. Although frameis not limited to a particular shape, in the present embodiment, frameis in the shape of a bottomed cylinder in an overall view. The outer circumferential edge of bottom plateof magnetic circuitis disposed at a position that is surrounded by the edge portion of the open end of frame. Frameand bottom plateare bonded by adhesive via annular suspensionso as to be disposed coaxially.

127 127 126 127 127 129 128 129 An electrical signal indicating vibration (sound) is inputted to coil. Interaction between the magnetic force generated in coiland the magnetic force present in magnetic gapcauses a force corresponding to the electrical signal to be generated in the winding axis direction of coil. In this embodiment, coilis wound around the outer circumference of cylindrical bobbin, and is attached to the center portion of framevia bobbin.

120 122 128 127 127 120 110 128 With the above-described configuration, excitercauses magnetic circuitand frameto relatively reciprocate in the winding axis direction of coilbased on the force generated in coil, to generate vibration. Excitercan impart vibration corresponding to the electrical signal to vibration componentwhich is joined to frame.

122 120 122 120 Although the case of an inner magnet type magnetic circuithas been described as a structure of exciter, magnetic circuitincluded in exciteris not limited to this type, and may be of the outer magnet type.

121 120 110 121 128 120 120 121 127 120 110 121 110 151 2 FIG. Fixing portionsare parts for attaching exciterto vibration component. Fixing portionsare provided so as to protrude from frameof exciter. In the present embodiment, exciterincludes a plurality of fixing portionsthat are arranged radially about the winding axis of coil. The joining method of exciterand vibration componentis not limited and, in the present embodiment, fixing portionsand vibration componentare fixed by way of fastening components(see).

110 120 110 110 211 211 211 Vibration componentis a component to which vibration generated by exciteris communicated so as to vibrate as a whole. Vibration componentmay have only the function of vibrating, or may have other functions at the same time. For example, as previously described, vibration componentis disposed at the back of receiving component, and may also have a function of supporting receiving component, a function of holding wiring for receiving component, and so on.

110 110 110 110 The material and shape of vibration componentis not limited, and as long as the material constituting vibration componentis light and rigid, vibration can be effectively propagated to other components. For example, as a material forming vibration component, hard aluminum is preferable over soft aluminum. It should be noted that the material forming vibration componentmay be another metal or a metal alloy, and may even be a resin, and so on.

110 111 121 111 110 111 111 120 111 112 110 111 111 110 111 111 120 110 Vibration componentis provided with affixing portionsto which fixing portionsare fixed. Here, affixing portionsare more readily capable of elastic deformation than other parts of vibration component. The shape of affixing portionsis not limited but is preferable a shape that allows affixing portionsto resonate at the single resonance frequency of the attached exciter. In the present embodiment, each of affixing portionsis surrounded on three sides by slitwhich penetrates in the thickness direction (in the figures, the X-axis direction) of vibration component, so that affixing portionis in the shape of a rectangular tongue. By designing in advance the size of the part of affixing portionthat is connected to another part of vibration component, the size of affixing portionas a whole, and so on, affixing portionshaving a natural resonance frequency corresponding to the frequency generated by excitercan be provided to vibration component.

It should be noted that the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments. For example, other embodiments that can be realized by arbitrarily combining structural elements or removing some structural elements described in the present Specification may be embodiments of the present disclosure. Furthermore, variations obtainable through various modifications to the above-described embodiments that can be conceived by a person of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the essence of the present disclosure, that is, the meaning of the recitations in the Claims are included in the present disclosure.

4 FIG. 111 110 For example, as illustrated in, affixing portionsmay be portions whose thickness is less than the other parts of vibration component.

5 FIG. 110 111 113 111 Furthermore, as illustrated in, vibration componentmay include, at peripheral edges of each of affixing portions, trenchfor facilitating elastic deformation of affixing portion.

112 113 111 111 111 111 Furthermore, slitor trenchprovided at peripheral edges of each of affixing portionsis not limited to surrounding affixing portionon three sides of affixing portion, and may surround affixing portionon two sides.

112 113 111 Furthermore, slitor trenchprovided at peripheral edges of each of affixing portionsmay be curved.

100 200 220 210 Furthermore, vibration systemmay be provided to other parts of mobile bodysuch as dashboard, and not just to operation component.

100 110 120 110 120 121 120 110 110 111 121 110 Vibration systemaccording to a first aspect includes: vibration componentand exciterattached to vibration component. Exciterincludes fixing portionthat fixes exciterto vibration component, and vibration componentincludes affixing portionto which fixing portionis attached, and which is more readily elastically deformable than other parts of vibration component.

110 120 110 111 According to the first aspect, vibration componentis made light and rigid to enable vibration to effectively propagate to other components, and thus the vibration of excitercan be effectively communicated to the entirety of vibration componentvia elastically deformable affixing portion.

100 111 110 Vibration systemaccording to a second aspect is the vibration system according to the first aspect, in which affixing portionhas a thickness less than a thickness of the other parts of vibration component.

111 110 111 110 According to the second aspect, affixing portionthat is more elastically deformable than the other parts of vibration componentcan be formed. Furthermore, it is possible to make affixing portionnot visible from one surface of vibration component.

100 110 111 113 112 111 Vibration systemaccording to a third aspect is the vibration system according to the first aspect or the second aspect, in which vibration componentfurther includes, at peripheral edges of affixing portion, trench, or slit, for facilitating elastic deformation of affixing portion.

111 110 113 111 110 112 111 110 According to the third aspect, affixing portionthat is more elastically deformable than the other parts of vibration componentcan be formed. Furthermore, when trenchis adopted, it is possible to make affixing portionnot visible from one surface of vibration component. When slitis adopted, affixing portioncan be formed easily in vibration component.

100 113 112 111 111 Vibration systemaccording to a fourth aspect is the vibration system according to the third aspect, in which trenchor slitis arranged to surround affixing portionon three sides of affixing portion.

111 110 110 According to the fourth aspect, affixing portionthat elastically deforms more readily than the other parts of vibration componentcan be formed easily in vibration component.

100 111 120 Vibration systemaccording to a fifth aspect is the vibration system according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, in which trench affixing portionhas a natural resonance frequency corresponding to a frequency generated by exciter.

120 110 111 According to the fifth aspect, the vibration of excitercan be communicated efficiently to vibration componentvia affixing portion.

110 120 111 120 110 Vibration componentaccording to a sixth aspect is a vibration component to be attached to exciter, and includes: affixing portionto which exciteris to be attached, and which is more readily elastically deformable than other parts of vibration component.

110 120 110 111 According to the sixth aspect, vibration componentis made to be light and rigid to enable vibration to effectively propagate to other components, and thus the vibration of excitercan be effectively communicated to the entirety of vibration componentvia elastically deformable affixing portion.

200 100 110 120 110 120 121 120 110 110 111 121 110 100 120 110 Mobile bodyaccording to a seventh aspect includes vibration systemincluding: vibration component; and exciterattached to vibration component. Exciterincludes: fixing portionthat fixes exciterto vibration component. Vibration componentincludes: affixing portionto which fixing portionis attached, and which is more readily elastically deformable than other parts of vibration component. Vibration systemcauses exciterto vibrate based on an inputted electrical signal to thereby cause vibration componentto vibrate.

Further Information about Technical Background to this Application

The disclosure of the following patent application including specification, drawings, and claims is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety: Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-110258 filed on Jul. 9, 2024.

The present can be used in a vibration system that is to be attached to a household appliance, an information device, home equipment, a mobile body, and so on.